Re: [Paddlewise] Immersion Gear Revisited

2 penny worth of a very low key paddler...

I've paddled for years but get little time on the water, so my  
cumulative experience is still rather low.  I'm very careful of what  
I go out in, weather, water & gear.  I've rolled in practice but  
never in need & done re-entry drills as well.  Oh and I mostly paddle  
solo on north atlantic coast.

I think the skills / equipment balance is really about personal  
judgement.

Anyone who thinks that a piece of equipment or particular skill will  
"keep them from dying" is fooling themselves.

When I first did a re-entry drill at the beach where I launch it took  
me a while to calm my breathing in order to execute the paddle float  
re-entry.  I was wearing a shortie wetsuit at the time.

On a calm morning the trip to the 2 mile buoy is a nice pre-breakfast  
run.   I wear a two piece dry top & pants.  I know it won't "save my  
life" but I also know that if I do anything stupid and fall out of my  
boat I will at least not have the cold water hitting my chest as I go  
in and will have that much more energy to get back out.  I still  
won't go out in water I don't think I can handle whilst alone.  And I  
always have a pfd on, once again, just to buy a little time.  I  
haven't bothered with a VHF as I'm line of site with the shore, only  
there for a month and have better reception on my cell phone at the  
buoy than I do in the cottage.  I also know most of the lobster men  
in the area and have been assured they'd fish me out if I really  
needed it (they think I'm crazy in my tiny boat & I think compared to  
the size of the ocean... well we're both tiny).

There are so many styles of kayaking and so many different  
conditions.  I wouldn't expect someone who surfs or plays in rock  
gardens to think of their equipment exactly as I do, it wouldn't make  
sense anymore that it would for me to be required to wear a helmet  
(I'd have to sink a long way to hit a rock).

Some of the stories that are posted here are obvious failures of  
judgement.  At least one "he didn't take ____ because it was only a  
short trip" story has taught me to treat every single outing with  
exactly the same seriousness.

But ultimately it is all a matter of personal choice an judgement.   
Gear won't keep us from dying but neither will our skills if we are  
incapacitated.  So I'll work on my skills so that I needn't rely on  
my gear and I'll wear my gear incase my skills fail and I'll accept  
that the sport has risks.  But then on this list, we all do.

The trouble seems to be communicating this to newbies and non-kayakers.

je
janellen_at_harriman4.net

In the end, all engineering is compromise.

On 9 Nov 2007, at 04:54, Duane Strosaker wrote:

   All immersion gear is doing is buying a little more time in the  
water. If you are in the water and can't get back in your kayak in a  
few minutes, you're not getting back in. If you're not close enough  
to swim to shore or don't have a rescue on the way, and the water is  
cold enough, you are going to die, even with immersion gear. Having  
the skills and judgment to stay out of the water beats the best  
immersion gear.
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